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Buying multi-family property
An apartment building is a business wrapped in real estate, so the diligence starts with the income. We reconcile the rent roll against the actual leases, confirm deposits and arrears, and obtain estoppels where the deal calls for them. From there we work through the title and every instrument on it, the environmental reports, the Real Property Report or survey position, and the service contracts that come with the building.
We negotiate the purchase agreement with the financing timeline built in, so the condition periods match how long insurers and lenders really take, and the closing adjustments treat rents, deposits, and recoverables correctly. If a vendor take-back or an assumption of existing financing is part of the deal, we paper it early so priorities and consents are settled before you waive conditions.
CMHC-insured financing, done properly
CMHC’s multi-unit programs, including MLI Select, have become the main financing route for buildings with five or more units. MLI Select rewards commitments on affordability, energy efficiency, and accessibility with better leverage and longer amortizations. The programs are document-heavy, and the borrower’s lawyer is the one who has to make the closing checklist come together.
That is the role we take. We review the commitment and the certificate of insurance conditions, prepare and register the mortgage and the collateral security, clear the title requirements, confirm insurance in the form the insurer requires, deliver the solicitor opinions, and work through lender counsel’s checklist to funding. Refinances and construction takeouts run the same way, with discharges and priorities sequenced so the money lands on the day it is supposed to.
What this desk handles
- Apartment and purpose-built rental purchases and sales
- CMHC-insured purchase and refinance closings, MLI and MLI Select
- Bank, credit union, and private multi-family financing
- Full borrower-side security packages and opinions
- Rent roll, lease, and estoppel review
- Vendor take-backs, assumptions, and priority agreements
- Construction loan takeouts and discharge sequencing
- Portfolio deals across multiple titles
Where we act
Our lawyers handle multi-family & CMHC files across Alberta from our Calgary office, including Calgary, Airdrie, Cochrane, Okotoks, Chestermere, Edmonton, and everywhere between. Alberta has one Land Titles system, so the closing works the same wherever the property sits. Signing happens at our office, by video where permitted, or with a local commissioner near you.
